Air and gas engine.



No. 640,890. Patented Jan. 9, I900.

J. W. EISENHUTH. AIR AND GAS ENGINE.

Applicntion filed June 14, 1899.) I v 7 v3 Shady-Sheet I.

III III III I II WITNESSES INVENTOR Attorney;

Patented law. 9, I900.

s sheets-sheet 2.

J. W. EISENHUTH.

AIR AND GAS ENGINE.

(Application filed June 14, 1899.

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No. 640,890. Patented Ian. 9, I900.

J. W. EISENHUTH.

AIR AND GAS ENGINE.

' (Application filed June 14, 1899.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets$heei a.

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UNITED STATES JOHN 'w. EI'S'ENHUTH, on NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TOMAMIE c. READ,

FFICE.

OF SAME PLACE.

AIR AND GAS ENGINE.

"SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,890, dated January9, 1900. Application filed June 14, 1899. Serial No. 720,593- (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

' a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county ofNew York and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Air and Gas Engines; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and'exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements i air and gas engines, and moreparticularly to that class of engines which are adapted to be used ascompound engines.

It consists in an engine having high-pressure cylinders and alower-pressure cylinder, means for admitting an explosive mixture to thehigh-pressure cylinders, means for admitting the exhaust from the saidhigh-pressure cylinders to the low-pressure cylinder, and means forintroducing compressed air into the said low-pressure cylinder forassisting in the operation of the engine.

It also consists in an engine having high and low pressure cylinders, anair-cylinder arranged upon the end of one of the highpressure cylinders,the piston of which is connected up with the piston of the high-pressurecylinder, an air-compressor mounted upon the end of the otherhigh-pressure cylinder,means for storing the air compressed, and pipingfor leading the compressed air to the air-cylinder or the low-pressurecylinder, as may be desired.

It further consists in certain other novel constructions, combinations,and arrangements of parts,as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of anengine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 represents acentral vertical longitudinal section through the same. Fig. 3represents a horizontal section through the cylinders of the said engineand the valve for controlling the admission of the expansive compoundand air to the various cylinders. Fig. 4 represents a verticaltransverse section through one of the high-pressure cylinders, and Fig.5 represents a similar view through the low-pressure cylinder.

the high-pressure gas-engine cylinders a compound engine of considerablepower can be produced. By this construction a considerable amount ofpower which would be wasted may be utilized and opportunity afiorded forthe use of compressed air in addition to the said exhaust for givingfurther power to the engine.

In carrying out the features of the inven tion I mount the high-pressurecylinders 2 2 at each end of a suitable casing, the low-pressurecylinder 3 being preferably interposed between the two. High-pressurepistons, as 6 7, are adapted to move in the cylinders 2 2 and areconnected by means of pitmen 8 8 with the cranks 9 9 of the mainpower-shaft 10. The pitmen 8 are preferably pivotally secured to theheads 6 and 7, which are made hollow for this purpose. There would be noneed for cross-heads in this construction, as the lower ends of thecylinders 2 2 are open. pressure cylinder 3 is provided with a hollowpiston 11, which is connected by means of a pitman 12 with a crank 13 onthe main shaft 10. The pitman 12 is also pivotally connected to Thelowthe piston 11 by a suitable bracket, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of thedrawings. The pistonrods are provided with the usual packingrings tomake snug jointsand prevent the escape of pressure. The cylinders 2, 2,and 3 are preferably mounted upon a shaft inclosing base portion 14,which surrounds a portion of the main shaft 10 and the cranks 9 9. Thisinclosing base portion not only incloses the shaft and the cranks, butalso serves a further purpose, as will be'more fully described.

A suitable explosive mixture is led to the high-pressure cylindersthrough piping 15 15, which is connected with valve-chambers 16 16.

A valve, as 17, normally held closed by means of a spring 18, is mountedin the valve-casing 16. Below the valve 17 an inlet-port 19 is located,leading into one of the high-pressure cylinders 2. As the piston in thehigh-pressure cylinder descends it will suck or draw the charge ofexplosive mixture from the pipe past the valve 17, through the port 19,into the upper end of the cylinder. Upon the upward stroke of the pistonthe spring 18 will be permitted to close the valve 17 to prevent theback flow of the gaseous mixture, andthe piston will compress the saidexplosive mixture in the upper end of the cylinder. At the proper timethe said mixture will be ignited and its explosive force will force thepiston downwardly. In order to ignite the gaseous mixture, 1 providesuitable electrodes, as at 20 and 21, the electrode 20 beingprovidedwith an annular projecting ridge adapted to snap by theelectrode 21 for producing an electric spark, said electrodes being eachconneoted with the poles of a battery. (Not shown.) The stem of theelectrode 20 extends downwardly outside the casing and is provided witha collar, as 22, between which and the casing is interposed a spring 23for holding the said electrode normally in its lowered position. Each ofthe electrodes will be raised at the proper time by mechanism which willbe hereinafter described. The valve-casing 16 is also provided with aport 24, which leads into the low-pressure cylinder 3. A valve 25controls the admission of the exhausted gases to the said port 2 L, thestem of the said valve extending downwardly and having a spring 26secured thereto for holding the valve 25 normally upon its seat.

The valve 25 is operated by a suitable means for opening the port 24 tothe exhaust and admitting the exhausted gases to the lowpressurecylinder, as will be hereinafter more fully described. The cylinder 3 isalso provided with an exhaust-port 27, (seen in Fig. 3,) which iscontrolled by means of a springpressed valve, as 28. The cylinder 3 isalso provided with an air-inlet valve, as 29, mounted in a suitablecasing and normally held closed by means of a spring 30. A piping, as31, connects the valve-casing with the compressed-air supply, and a port32 admits the said compressed air through the valve-casing to thecylinder 3. This compressed-air inlet may be used to assist in runningthe engine continually in connection with the explosive mixtures, butispreferably used only in starting the engine, it not being necessarilyneeded for the further operation of the device.

In order to operate the valves above described, a counter-shaft, as 33,is mounted in the casing 14 14 and arranged parallel with the main shaft10. At a suitable point along the length of the said shaft an inclinedshaft 3% is mounted in suitable bearings and provided with spiral gears35 36, which mesh, respectively, with spiral gears 37 on the shaft 10and 38 on the shaft for communicating motion from one shaft to theother. Ar ranged directly beneath the stems of the valves 25 arevertical rods 39, which are held in their lower position normally bymeans of springs 40, surrounding the said rods and interposed betweenheads upon the lower ends thereof and the casing 14 14. Pivoted levers41, mounted upon the casing, engage the lower ends of the said verticalrods and rest upon cams, as 42, secured to the shaft 33. cams are solocated upon the said shafts that they will open the valves 25 to admitthe exhaust from the high-pressure cylinders into the low-pressurecylinder alternately, the explosion in each of the high-pressurecylinders taking place upon every other stroke of the piston. Similarrods, as 43,engage cams 44 on the shaft 83 to operate the electrodes 2022. A red 45,engaginga cam 46, is adapted to operate the air inlet valve29 when it is desired to use compressed air in the low-pressurecylinder. When it is not desired to employ compressed air, a pivoted endportion 47 on the lower end of the stem of the valve 29 is turned up outof the way, so as not to engage the said rod 45. It will be noted thatwhenever it is desired to employ compressed air the pin 47 can beimmediately turned down, so as to throw the valve 29 into operation. Asimilar cam-actuating rod 48 is adapted to control the movement of theexhaust-valve 28.

While the exhausts from the low-pressure cylinder may be conducted toany suitable point, yet I preferably utilize the heatof the said exhaustfor expanding the compressed air, and thereby giving the same additionalpower. For this purpose the exhaust is conducted through a larger pipe49 into a compartment 50, formed upon the casing 14. A spring-pressedvalve 51 controls the entrance of the exhaust from the compartment intothe interiorof acompartment 56 in the casing 14, formed by means of apartition 57. The said compartmentis tightly closed and is provided withan outlet, as at 52, which is provided with a valve 53, normally heldclosed by means of springs 5i and 55. By the construction thus describedit will be noted that the movement of one of the high-pressure pistons,as 7, may be utilized for pumping the exhaust from the chamber 50 intothe chamber 56 and forcing the same out through the valve 52. Theexhaust thus pumped out of the casing may be conducted to thecompressed-air tank, if desired, by connecting the casing of the valve52 by means of suitable piping with the said tanks. It will be notedthat the construction of the valve 51 is such that the exhaust cannotreturn into the chamber 50. As the piston 7 ascends it will create avacuum in the chamber 56 and draw the exhaust from the chamber 50. Whenit descends again, the valve 51 will be closed and the exhaust will beforced out of the compartment 56. I thus use the piston '7 for pumpingthe exhaust in the same manner as any other vacuumpump would be used.The pipe 50, which leads the compressed air from any suitable source tothe low-pressure cylinder, is passed in a zigzag manner through {thechamber 50, so thatthe air therein is entirely heated, and thus givegreat additional expansive power.

These I find that it is convenient and practicable to employ, inconnection with one of the highpressure cylinders, a smallerpiston-surface for compressing air into suitable tanks for use in theengine elsewhere. The piston 6 is provided with a hollow cylinderextension 58, forming a smaller piston and moving in an extension 59 ofthe cylinder 2. The outer end of the piston 58 is provided with avalvecontrolled opening, as at 60, the valve at this point beingnormally held closed by means of a spring 61. The end of the cylinder 59is preferably closed by means of a valve-casing 62, provided with aspring-pressed valve 68. The valve-casing is connected by means ofsuitable piping, as 64, with suitable air-reservoirs or tanks forstoring air for further use. These tanks may be of any suitable size andmay be located to one side of the engine, as at 65 in Fig. 1, or thetanks may be secured to the casing 14, as at 66, ifdesired, withoutdeparting in the least from the spirit of my invention. As the piston 6reciprocates it will, upon its downward movement, permit air to passupwardly through the piston extension 58 into the vacuum producedbetween the valves 65 and the end of the said piston extension, thevalve 60 permitting the air to pass into the cylinder vextension 59.When the piston 6 ascends, and with it the piston extension 58, thevalve 60 will be closed and will force the air past the valve 63 andthrough the rod 64. into the storing-tanks. By thus using a piston whichhas a comparatively small com pressing-surface in connection with thegas-cylinder piston of much larger area I am enabled to compress airwith very little loss of power.

As seen in Fig.1 of the drawings, the compressed-air tanks may beconnected by suitable piping, as 65*, with the low-pressure cylinder,conducting the air from the said tanks to the valve 29 for use .as abovedescribed. The compressed air may be also utilized for other purposes.

Upon the upper end of one of the cylinders 2 is preferably located anair-cylinder 4,which may be bolted or otherwise secured in place uponthe said cylinder. A piston, as 67, moves in the said air-cylinder 4 andis connected by means of its piston-rod 68 with the piston 7. A suitablepacking is arranged about the said piston-rod 68 where it passes throughthe head of the cylinder 2. This headmay be formed with a water-jacket,as at 69, if desired, to prevent the excessive heat from injuring theparts at this point. The cylinder 4 is provided with a valve-casing, as70, in which a slide-valve 71 of ordinary construction is adapted tomove. The said slide-valve may be reciprocated by connecting it by meansof an eccentric, as 71*, with the main shaft 10, as clearly illustratedin Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. A valve-casing is connected with eachend of the cylinder 4 by means of suitable ports and with an exhaustpipe72, leading from the said cylinder and valve-chest into the low-pressurecylinder 3. A pipe, as 73, connects the valve-casing 70 with suitablepiping leading from the airtanks, so that the compressed air may beapplied in the valve-chest 70. The compressed air may be thus used atany time to assist in running the engine by using the cylinder 4forreciprocating the piston 67, and thus the piston 6, as has beenclearly described and illustrated. In order not to lose the exhaust ofthe said air-cylinder, it is preferably led, by means of said pipe 72,into a low-pressure cylinder 3'to give additional power to the saidcylinder.

It will be apparent that instead of employing an air-compressor, as at58, I may run an air-compressor which is separate from the en gine foraccumulating air compressed in the tanks without departing from thespirit of my invention.

It will be apparent from the above description that I have produced agas-engine which is capable of compound action, having high and lowpressure cylinders, the high-pressure cylinders being adapted to exhaustinto the low-pressure cylinders, and that I am also enabled to compressair in suitable tanks or other reservoirs and utilize the same not onlyin the low-pressure cylinder but in an auxiliary air-cylinder havingapiston arranged in tandem with the piston in the high-pressurecylinders; also, by pumping the exhaust through the exhaust-chamber I amenabled to further utilize the heat of the said exhaust for expandingthe compressed air. It will be apparent from the drawings that thecranks upon the main power-shaft are arranged so that those connectedwith the high-pressure piston are diametrically opposite the oneconnected with the low-pressure cylinder,in order to secure the properoperation of the comound movement.

It will be understood that I contemplate using any sort of expansivepowerin the operation of my engine, such as gas mixtures of variouskinds, carbonic-acid gas, liquefied air, or other air compressed to aless degree, all within the spirit of my invention.

It will be noted that my engine is a compound gas and air engine in thatit employs high-pressure gas-cylinders which exhaust into a low-pressurecylinder and that it also employs high-pressure air-cylinders whichexhaust into a low-pressure cylinder. It will also be noted that thelow-pressure cylinder receives the exhaust both from the high-pressuregas-cylinders and the high-pressure aircylinders.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an air and gas engine, the combination with high and low pressurecylinders, of an air-cylinder arranged upon one end of one of thehighpressure cylinders, the piston of which is connected up with thepiston of the. high-pressure cylinder, an air -compressor Biased mountedupon the end of the other high-pressure cylinder, means for storing theair compressed, and piping for leading the compressed air to theair-cylinder or to the lowpressure cylinder as may be desired,substantially as described.

2. In a gas-engine, the combination with two high-pressure cylinders andone low-pressure cylinder, a main shaft connected with the pistons inthe said cylinders, a casing inclosing the said shafts and crankscarried thereby, a compartment formed beneath one of the saidhigh-pressure cylinders and provided with inlet and outlet valves, aheatingcompartment connected with the said compartment in the casing,means for conducting the exhaust from the low-pressure cylinder to thesaid heatingcompartment, the constructionbeing such that the operationof the pistons in the high-pressure cylinders will tend to produce avacuum in the casing so as to pump the exhaust from the said chamberinto the casing and force the same out in the open air, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a gas-engine, the combination with high and low pressurecylinders, of an aircompressor connected with one of the saidhigh-pressure cylinders and comprising a cylinder extension formed uponone end of the said compression-cylinder, a piston extension formed uponthe piston of the said cylinder, a valve in the end of the said pistonextension, a valve controlling the end of the said cylinder extension,means for connecting the said outlet from the said cylinder extensionwith a suitable reservoir or tank, and means for admitting explosivemixtures to the highpressure cylinders for operating them, theconstruction being such that as the high pressure cylinders reciprocate,the piston extension will be so reciprocated in the cylinder extensionas to compress air and force the same into suitable reservoirs forfurther use, substantially as described.

4-. In a gas-engine, the combination with suitable cylinders adapted tobe operated by an explosive mixture, of an air-cylinder ar* ranged uponthe end of one of the said explosive-mixture cylinders, a pistonmovingin the said air-cylinder and connected with the piston in theexplosive-mixture chamber, a valve-chest connected with each end of thesaid air-cylinder and means for admitting compressed air or otherpressure to the said valve-chest, the construction being such that thepiston in the air-cylinder will assist the piston in theexplosive-mixture cylinder in running the engine, substantially asdescribed.

5. In an air and gas engine, the combination with suitable cylinders, ofa compressor attached to the piston of one of the cylinders,

a compressed-air piston connected with another cylinder, reservoirs forcollecting air which is compressed and piping for leading the said airto the air-operated cylinder for assisting in the operation of theengine, and means for conducting the exhaust from the air-cylinder, toone of the cylinders of the engine for further assisting in theoperation thereof, substantially as described.

6. In an air and gas engine, the combination with high and low pressurecylinders, of pistons operating therein, an air compressor mounted uponone of the said cylinders, an air-operated cylinder mounted upon anotherof the said cylinders, reservoirs for receiving the airwhich iscompressed, piping for con ducting the compressed air to theair-cylinder, a heating-compartment surrounding a portion of the saidpiping and adapted to receive the exhaust from the low-pressurecylinder, means for piping the said exhaust to the air-cylinder, aheating-compartment inclosing a portion of the said piping, means forpumping the exhaust from the low-pressure cylinder through the saidcompartment, whereby the heat of the said exhaust will be imparted tothe compressed air for giving it further expansive power, substantiallyas described.

7. In an airand gas engine, the combination of high and low pressurecylinders, of means for compressing air in suitable reservoirs, meansfor admitting compressed air to the low-pressure cylinder for startingthe engine, avaive controlling the admission of the said compressed air,the stem of the said valve extending opposite the casing,a pivoted endportion mounted upon the said valve-stem and a valve'operating rod forlifting the said valve, the construction being such that when thepivoted end of the valve-stem is in its straightened position, the valvewill be operated to admit air to the low-pressure cylinder and when thesaid pivoted end is turned upwardly, the said valve will cease to beoperated, substantially as described.

8. In a compound air and gas engine, the combination with highpressuregas-cylinders, of a low-pressure cylinder adapted to receive the exhausttherefrom, an air-pressure cylinder also adapted to exhaust into thesaid low-pressure cylinder, the same lowpressure cylinder receiving theexhaust from both the air-cylinder and the gas-cylinders, substantiallyas described. I

9. In a compound gas and air engine, the combination with high-pressuregas-cylinders and high-pressure &lI GyIiHdGI'S, of a lowpressurecylinder adapted to receive and be operated by the exhaust from both thehighpressure gas-cylinders and the high-pressure air cylinders, and avacuum chamber for drawing the exhaust from the said low-pressurecylinder, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofI hereunto aihx my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN W. EISENHUTH. Witnesses:

CHARLES H. GRAHAM, J OHN A. HILTON.

